Europe must be prepared for Russian sabotage and hybrid attacks – Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged Europe to prepare for systematic Russian sabotage, arson and other hybrid attacks.
Censor.NET reports this, citing Bloomberg.
Rutte urges Europe to remain prepared
According to Rutte, Russia is testing security across Europe. He stressed that allies need to remain vigilant and prepare for a prolonged campaign of hostile actions.
"We see Russia testing us across Europe. We must be prepared for Russia’s campaign of hostile actions against allies to continue. We must all remain vigilant and ready to respond," the NATO secretary general said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten supported Rutte’s position. They said Europe would not be intimidated.
Merz and Jetten also noted that their countries were already stepping up intelligence cooperation to an unprecedented level.
Moscow continues its hybrid campaign
The report notes that Russia is conducting a hybrid warfare campaign as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year.
According to the information cited, Moscow is using arson, sabotage at industrial facilities and assassination attempts to undermine Western partners’ support for Ukraine.
- The European leaders’ statements also came amid renewed Russian nuclear threats over Kaliningrad. Moscow said it was ready to use its entire weapons arsenal to defend the exclave if the Alliance attempted to cut it off from the rest of Russia.
At the same time, Rutte urged Europeans not to panic over the Kremlin’s statements and stressed NATO’s readiness to defend its borders.
"Keep calm, carry on and continue supporting Ukraine. Keep calm, because we have all the necessary resources to do so. We can defend every centimetre of allied territory," he stressed.
